2023 New Zealand National League

The 2023 New Zealand Men's National League was the third season of the National League since its restructuring in 2021. 32 clubs compete in the competition, with four qualifying from the Northern League, three qualifying from the Central League and two qualifying from the Southern League for the National Championship phase. Each team can field a maximum of four foreign players as well as one additional foreign player who has Oceania Football Confederation nationality. Over the course of the season, each team must also ensure players aged 20 or under account for 10% of available playing minutes.

2023 Northern League
Auckland City won the title for the third consecutive season on the final day beating Manukau United 6–1. This was Auckland City's third season in the Northern League, winning the title each of those seasons. Both Auckland City and Eastern Suburbs completed the Northern League season undefeated. This was the first season two clubs had gone undefeated in the Northern League. It was only the second time a team had gone undefeated since Eastern Suburbs did so in 1965, the first season of the NRFL Premier League.

Heading into the final day of the season, no team had been mathematically relegated. The matchday started with Bay Olympic and Manukau United in the relegation zone with Takapuna three points ahead in the last safe spot. Bay Olympic bettered Takapuna's goal difference by three and Manukau's by ten.

Manukau lost 6–1 away to Auckland City and were subsequently relegated. Takapuna, the only side to have their fate completely in their own hands, lost 3–2 at West Coast Rangers. Bay Olympic, hosting Manurewa equalized from the spot in the 84th minute and were looking like going down until, they found a winner in the first minute of stoppage time. This meant they relegated Takapuna on goal difference after finishing level on points.

Northern League teams
Twelve teams are competing in the league – the top ten teams from the previous season and the two teams promoted from the 2022 NRFL Division 1. The promoted teams are West Coast Rangers and Manurewa. It is Manurewa's first and West Coast Rangers second season (after relegation in 2021) in the National League. They replaced Waiheke United (relegated after their debut season on the Northern League) and North Shore United (relegated after a two-year Northern League spell).

Central League teams
Ten teams are competing in the league – the top nine teams from the previous season and the one team promoted from the 2022 play-off between the winners of the Central Federation League and the Capital Premier. The winner of the play-off was Stop Out. This is their first season in the Central League, since New Zealand football’s restructuring in 2021. They replaced Havelock North Wanderers (relegated to the Capital Premier League after one season in the Central League). Wellington United was entered as one of the originally 10 teams to play the 2023 season but withdrew in 2022. They were replaced by Whanganui Athletic who had originally missed out on promotion to Stop Out.

Southern League teams
Ten teams are competing in the league – the top nine teams from the previous season and the winner of the Southern League play-offs. The promoted team is FC Twenty 11. This is their first season in the Southern League. They replaced Mosgiel (relegated after their debut season in the Southern League).

Qualified clubs
There are 10 men’s National League Championship qualifying spots (4 for the Northern League, 3 plus Wellington Phoenix Reserves for the Central League and 2 for the Southern League).

Positions by round
The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. To preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards. For example, if a match is scheduled for round 3, but then postponed and played between rounds 6 and 7, it is added to the standings for round 6.

Grand Final


Player

 * Most yellow cards: 5
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 James Hoyle (Napier City Rovers)


 * Most red cards: 1
 * 10 players

Club

 * Most red cards: 3
 * Napier City Rovers


 * Fewest red cards: 0
 * Auckland United
 * Eastern Suburbs
 * Petone
 * Wellington Phoenix Reserves

Goal of the Week
The goal of the week for the 2023 season included goals from the 2023 New Zealand Women's National League.